Dreamy landscapes from hiking the Lycian way

Sometimes time runs faster than you can capture it. Especially when you wanna capture it to stories. And stories you can either live in or observe and tell – not both at the same time. That’s why my story time is lagging four months or so. It’s still in Turkey.

While in Turkey we set off on the Lycian way. It’s a 540km long (some day I’d love to walk it all!) path through rocks and stones, winding from the pebbled beaches up the steep peaks and down again. And what can be better than mountains and beaches together!

Especially, when those snowy peaks land in the beach just in front of you.

Not that they are not impressive to look at looming high above you.

But no, we didn’t climb that one. We left snow and ice back home and didn’t feel like entering freezing temperatures here in Turkey. Though crossing freezing rivers was sometimes a necessary sacrifice!

We started our three day hike in the beach of Cirali, which was almost the only place where we met other humans. And that’s where we left them, though not their dog.

Meet Monsieur Chien! Our loyal friend, who was probably terribly bored staying at the same beach among the same people, while dreaming of the world full of adventures. So when we showed up he just decided to continue along! Or maybe we just smelled right.

Imagine waking up at night and feeling a warm touch from outside the tent…and finding Monsieur Chien cuddling next to you, separated just by a thin tent. Dog with an explorers’ spirit, but so easily tamed.

Besides the dog, we found another unexpected companion on our way. Imagine, collecting firewood and suddenly finding a body. In the darkness, in the empty beach. It appears that this mannequin instead of spending her life idly staring from the windows of clothing stores had quite an adventurous time in the seas and the coasts, getting bended, disassembled and adorned by shells and sand on the way, turning into the genuine part of nature. Or modern art.

The best thing of being part of nature and sleeping on the beach is swimming the first thing in the morning! The sun is just appearing from behind the mountain and you’re catching the first sun rays while floating on your back and staring at sunlit islands. And it’s January. Mmm…

Swimming works better than muddy camping-fire coffee to wake you up, and gives energy to continue through the rocks until some green oases

or yet another pebbled beach. Mountains and beaches seem to replace each other just at the times when you need some rest.

And you don’t need plastic mannequins to find surrealistic landscapes in the nature. Red rocks are enough